1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recreational vehicles having a cargo carrying device and, more particularly, to folding camping trailers having a cargo carrying device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of recreational vehicles for comfortable travel is well known. Recreational vehicles include those that can be driven down the road as a self-contained unit and others that are towed such as folding camping trailers. Besides providing shelter and creature comforts away from home, recreational vehicles must enable the owner to transport all manner of supplies and lifestyle accessories, such as bicycles, boats, camping and hunting gear, and the like. This gear is commonly known as cargo.
Folding camping trailers (hereinafter referred to as "folding trailers"), wherein major design goals include low cost, compact size and light weight, present a particular challenge to their designers and manufacturers in providing cargo-carrying accommodations for large items that folding trailer owners are likely to transport in the use of their folding trailers. Such items may include, for example, large storage boxes as are commonly found in beds of pickup trucks, bicycles, lawn furniture, ice chests, firewood, children's playthings and portable water storage tanks.
The current arrangements in folding trailers for carrying such large cargo items include rooftop cargo racks, enclosed and integrated trunks, commonly known in the art as integral storage trunks, and owner-fabricated devices of all sorts. There are shortcomings with each of these arrangements.
The shortcomings of rooftop cargo racks are that they are expensive and must be permanently installed by drilling through the folding trailer roof. Additionally, rooftop cargo racks are difficult to access due to their location atop the folding trailer and are inaccessible when the folding trailer is setup. Also, rooftop cargo racks can undesirably raise a folding trailer's center of gravity. Further, rooftop cargo racks can obstruct the driver's rearward vision when large objects are placed upon them. Holes drilled improperly when installing the rooftop cargo rack may cause leaks in the roof.
Integral storage trunks likewise have shortcomings. For example, they provide only restricted access to their contents when the folding trailer is opened and are limited by small access doors. In addition, integral storage trunks are generally unable to accommodate large, odd-shaped items such as bicycles. Integral storage trunks can also add additional cost and weight to the folding trailer.
Owner-fabricated devices are often of uncontrolled integrity and are typically located at the rear of the folding trailer. The rear of the folding trailer is an undesirable location for placing owner-fabricated devices and the accompanying additional weight of the cargo for numerous reasons. First, the extended length reduces the departure angle of the folding trailer and, thus, the devices often drag on the ground when the folding trailer negotiates inclines. Additionally, these devices often obscure the visibility of the folding trailer's lights to following vehicles. Finally, the weight of the cargo added to the rear of the folding trailer can adversely affect the folding trailer's towing characteristics.
An object of the present invention is to provide a folding trailer having a cargo carrying device that adds minimal cost and weight to the folding trailer.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a folding trailer having a cargo carrying device that can accommodate large, odd-shaped cargo items.
Accordingly, I have invented a folding trailer having a chassis, a trailer body attached to the chassis and an integral cargo platform attached to the chassis adjacent the trailer body. The chassis includes wheels and a towing hitch. The trailer body is attached to the chassis such that a front end of the trailer body faces the towing hitch. The cargo platform is attached to the chassis between the front end of the trailer body and the towing hitch. The cargo platform includes a substantially flat and substantially rigid core member and a layer of substantially abrasion and weather resistant material positioned on the core member. The cargo platform further includes a first side and a second side and is configured to be attached to the chassis such that the second side contacts the chassis. The first side has a surface defined by the layer of abrasion and weather resistant material, with the surface shaped to limit movement of cargo received on the first side of the cargo platform.
The cargo platform may be polygonal-shaped. Preferably, the cargo platform is trapezoidal-shaped and is spaced from the front end of the trailer body. The layer of abrasion and weather resistant material may enclose the core member.
The surface of the first side may define a plurality of substantially parallel recesses, with each of the recesses separated from an adjacent recess by a rib portion. The cargo platform may further include a first edge and a second edge and the recesses preferably extend substantially a distance from the first edge to the second edge. In addition, the surface of the first side may incline from the first edge toward the second edge such that liquid on the surface of the first side flows toward the second edge. The surface of the first side of the cargo platform may form a plurality of raised lip portions positioned on the first side of the cargo platform to limit the movement of the cargo received on the first side of the cargo platform.
In the trapezoidal-shaped embodiment of the cargo platform, the cargo platform is defined by a first edge, a second edge and two lateral edges. The lip portions are preferably formed along the first edge and along each of the lateral edges of the cargo platform in this embodiment of the cargo platform.
The chassis preferably further includes an extended front support structure supporting the cargo platform. The cargo platform may also have a plurality of tie-down loops attached to the first side of the cargo platform for securing the cargo received on the first side of the cargo platform.
Further details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout.